This easy Rice Krispie treats recipe makes the perfect kid-approved snack! Or adults who want to feed their inner child.
What's not to love? They're crunchy, and gooey, with the perfect amount of sweetness.
And the best part? You can jazz them up with whatever sweet treats you like. That includes chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces, and more!
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Original Rice Krispie Treats
I hope you're ready to get messy because these easy snacks are as sticky as they come!
Rice Krispie treats are a simple, sweet dish perfect for any occasion. They're quick to mix up and quicker to disappear!
And everyone loves the texture of crunchy cereal with gooey marshmallows.
The original recipe, which is what you'll find below, is insanely simple. It's a classic, so why change it?
Having said that, there are plenty of ways to make these treats your own.
Ingredients
What’s amazing about Rice Krispie treats is that the recipe list is super short. Almost as short as the cooking time, but we’ll get into that a little later.
Here’s everything you need for this classic treat.
- Butter. Stick to unsalted. Salted butter can be too strong and detract from the ooey-gooey goodness of this recipe.
- Marshmallows. Pop open a bag of fluffy marshmallows and let their sticky, sugary magic do the work for you!
- Rice Krispies Cereal. This is the backbone of this recipe and where the dessert gets its name. A box of classic Rice Krispies cereal is all you need to turn a bland breakfast into an incredible dessert.
Optional Extras
The OG recipe hits me right in the nostalgia. But there’s nothing stopping you from making these treats your own.
Here are a few suggestions to take these bars over the edge:
- Chocolate chip
- Sprinkles
- Flavored extract, like vanilla, almond, or coconut
- Coconut flakes
- M&Ms
- Reese’s Pieces
- Nuts
- Other cereals, like Fruity Pebbles
- Pretzels
How to Make The Best Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie Treats are my go-to sweet treat because they’re so easy.
Here’s a quick rundown of how quickly they come together. Don’t worry, I’ll go into more detail at the bottom of this post.
1. Prepare. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or non-stick spray.
2. Melt the marshmallows. Combine butter and marshmallows, and melt on the stove or in the microwave.
3. Add cereal. Then, very gently mix the cereal with the melted marshmallows.
4. Set. Pour the Rice Krispies onto the prepared baking dish and press down gently.
5. Serve. Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes. Then cut, serve, and enjoy!
How to Melt Marshmallows
There are a couple of ways you can go about melting the marshmallows for this recipe. And they both work well.
So, just choose the method you are most comfortable with.
- The microwave. Microwave the marshmallows for 15 seconds at a time, stirring between each burst. You can melt the butter and marshmallows simultaneously using this method.
- The stovetop. Place the marshmallows in a pot on medium-low heat. Heat them until smooth and creamy, stirring occasionally. Then, add the butter.
I usually leave a few chunks of marshmallow so you get pops of chewy goodness inside the cereal. But you can make them as smooth as you like.
Tips & Tricks
If you are embarking on your first Rice Krispie journey, there are a couple of tricks of the trade that can help ensure your success.
- Don’t burn the marshmallows. Pour the marshmallows into a warm pan and watch them closely! When they're smooth, take them off the heat immediately, or they’ll burn. Always err on the side of undercooked rather than overcooked.
- Stir occasionally. If you over-stir the marshmallows, they will become hard. Be gentle.
- Don’t press too hard. You want your Rice Krispies to retain their original shape as much as possible. When pressing them into the pan, be gentle. They don’t have to be perfect!
- Grease those hands. This mixture is unapologetically sticky. To prevent a sticky mess, spray your hands with a little cooking spray. You’ll thank me later.
- Cut them into fun shapes! Traditional Rice Krispie treats are square, but they don’t have to be! Use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes your kids will adore.
Recipe Variations
Once you have mastered the traditional recipe, you may want to shake things up by mixing in some Rice Krispie add-ins. Check out some of my favorites below.
- Chopped candy. Think M&Ms or Reeses Pieces. Make sure you chop the candy small enough to not overpower the cereal pieces.
- Chocolate chips. You can easily make them chocolatey with a handful of chocolate chips. But why stop there? Consider fun flavors like butterscotch or white chocolate.
- Swap out your cereal. Rice Krispies are the OG, but other cereals work, too! Try Fruity Pebbles, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or Reese Puffs cereal. Everything goes with marshmallows.
- Get fruity. Are you craving a fruity treat? Try adding freeze-dried strawberries to the mix. Or for a real treat, blend strawberries and white chocolate chips.
How to Store
Cereal doesn’t last forever and goes stale quickly. Check out these storage tips to keep your Rice Krispies, well… crispy.
To Store. Place cooled Rice Krispies in an air-tight container on the countertop. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Refrigerating them isn’t recommended because they will become hard.
To Freeze. Place them in an air-tight freezer bag where they will stay fresh for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, set them out until they reach room temperature.
More No-Bake Treats to Try
No Bake Cookies
No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
Philadelphia No-Bake Cheesecake
Oreo Lasagna
Rice Krispie Treats
24
servings15
minutes10
minutes95
kcalRice Krispie treats are like little nostalgia bombs. They're crispy, crunchy, and oh-so-gooey. It's hard to stop at just one.
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
5 cups crisp rice cereal
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray or butter. Then, melt the marshmallows.
- On the stove, warm them over low heat until smooth, stirring slowly but constantly. Add the butter at the end and mix until smooth.
- In the microwave, heat the marshmallows with the butter in 15-second intervals, stirring slowly between each spin.
- Mix in the salt and vanilla, if using, followed by the cereal pieces, and stir until fully coated
- Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and lightly press it flat with a spatula.
- Cool for fifteen minutes. Then, cut the treats into bars or fun shapes, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Add in any sweetness that you like, such as chocolate chips, nuts, candy pieces, or dried fruit.
- To avoid a sticky mess, grease your hands before handling.
- You can use a smaller pan if you like the treats thicker. They'll just need a little longer to set.
Nutrition
- Calories: 95kcal
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
- Sodium: 164mg
- Potassium: 7mg
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugar: 10g
- Protein: 1g
- Calcium: 2mg
- Iron: 0mg
38 Comments
i remember my grandmother & i making these in the mid 70’s. always miss her the most when making these with my granbabies. her secret spice was a dash or two of cinnamon.
These are my 86-year-old husband’s favorite treat, especially after I added the chocolate chips. He said that this recipe tasted even better than store bought!
I love adding 1/2 cup peanut butter to the butter and marshmallow mixture and then top it with mini chocolate chips! It tastes like a light and crispy Reeses cup! My mom often made these as my “birthday cake” since I am not much of a cake eater.
Love this idea Ceci! Definitely going to have to try the addition of peanut butter and mini chocolate chips 🙂 Two of my favorite things.
Such an amazingly simple, delicious, old fashioned treat that brings back so many wonderful memories from over 65 years ago. They also bring back to mind my now gone mother and siblings as I savor each bite. I remember all seven of us fighting for the last one! Can’t help but feel like a kid eating these again (but afterward, my diabetes brings me back to reality and reminds me that I am not a kid and can’t eat as many as I’d like to!! LOL)
I like to add small amount of min marshmallows before pouring into pan. I also enjoy cutting in shapes with cookie cutters and decorating with melted molding chocolates for holidays.
These have to be at all our family gatherings!! My kids and grandkids all look for them and aren’t happy if I don’t make them!
I love rice crispy treats but want to make them a little healthier so I add peanut butter to the mix. They are delicious and a little healthier for the kids. you can also substitute cheerios for the rice crispies.
Love the idea of using Cheeroios!
The original homemade recipe is still the best. The store bought ones pale in comparison.
Agree. You just can’t beat homemade.
I make this every Christmas. I add some red food coloring to make it look more like a holiday recipe. Sometimes Ishape them into small Christmas trees.
you asked about memories and tweaks. I started out making the rice Kristie treats. but always had tons of cereal my kids wouldn’t eat. so I took diffrent cereals each time like corn flakes and used them in place of the rice krispies. the corn flake treats flew off the pan! did the same thing with grape nut flakes but added a cup or two of chocolate chips to the mix. they were hits as well. the possibilities are endless.!
I love this Karen! What a great idea. Another reader mentioned Cheerios. So many fun variations to try 🙂
I love these treats! I have been making them for 40 years!
I have made these sweet treats for my children and grandkids for years!! . As well as for various bake sales and pot lucks. Always a hit, never leftovers . They are relatively easy to make as well as an economical way to share the love!!
I love Rice Krispie treats, and my co worker would make them all the time for pitch ins. I would always eat too many because they were irrefutable. They were always so delicious. I asked her how hers always came out so good, and she told me she uses Kerry Gold butter and adds a touch of vanilla. I don’t go without these now!
When my kids were little they love to make rice crispy bars, and we added a little twist. We put peanut butter in the rice, crispy bars and put half of the rice crispies in a pan. We spread grape jelly on it and put the other half of the rice crispies and it tasted really good and my kids absolutely love it
How can you go wrong with melted butter and marshmallows? Along with adding all kinds of sweets, I’ve even topped mine lightly with sea salt! And yes, in my 55 years of making Rice Krispie Treats, I have been known to eat the whole pan full all by myself and enjoyed every bite! It’s the perfect recipe! ❤️
this is a classic! Who can resist a Rice Crispy Treat!
I usually use less cereal to have soft squares and wet my spoon to flatten them out😊 Hubby likes me to add melted white chocolate chips too!
One of my all time childhood favorites. I like them with Chocolate Chips, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles. Plain though is my favorite. I just taught my Granddaughter to make them and she was amazed This is a generational recipe that will live on hopefully for a few more.
I love this recipe! It always brings back memories of good times growing up!
These are so easy to make. They have appealed to 3 generations so far in our family. Even younger members can get involved in the preparation (even if it’s only to taste them LOL)